Shropshire siblings clock up the golf miles
A golf-mad brother and sister from Shropshire are going worldwide in their quest for honours.
Rory McDonald-O'Brien, aged 12, and his sister Isla, aged nine, are from Muxton in Telford.
They are two of the county's top prospects and are playing on the European stage and in the United States.
Rory recently won the Shropshire and Herefordshire Under-14s/Under-12s title (gross) at Lilleshall Hall, where he is a member.
He also took the Par 3 Championship, at the Grove near St Albans, after winning the Under-12s last year.
Joining him on as a county winner was nett champion Alex Poultney (Bridgnorth), who carded 41.
The 14-year-old finished clear of runner-up Sam Jones (Kington) and Thomas Hawkins (Market Drayton), both on 45 nett, to win his first county event.
Winning the county event qualified Rory for the national Champion of Champions, played over 36 holes at Shifnal on September 4. But he and sister Isla have impressed on a wider stage.
Rory finished 24th out of more than 100 in the European Under-12s Championships at the Glen in North Berwick, Scotland while Isla was placed fifth in the Under-9s girls.
Now both are off to play in the Spanish Junior Championship in Malaga on Thursday.
Rory missed the England Boys Under-14s Strokeplay – for boys with a handicap of five or below – last year.
That was because he and Isla were playing in the IMG Academy Junior World Championships in San Diego, where Rory finished 18th in the Under-12s and Isla was carded 21st in the Under-9s.
Next month Rory and Isla are off to the Wee Wonders grand final at St Andrews, where Isla came third in the girls Under-9s last year and Rory won the Under-12s. Isla also plays for the Shropshire county girls team, which is Under-16s.
Proud dad Andy plays off five and works as an IT manager for a solicitors firm in Shrewsbury, while mum Alison is an ex-LTA coach and head of sport at Moreton Hall School in Oswestry.
Andy said: "From the age of two-and-a-half Rory had an eye for a ball. Isla grew up on a golf course because we were always there with Rory."
Both receive weekly coaching from Darren Prosser at Kingswinford near Dudley and have been tipped to turn full-time.
